FEB 27

MARCH 5

-- Belgian telecoms group Telenet to acquire 50 percent stake in Belgian broadcasting company De Vijver Media (notified Aug. 18/deadline extended for the second time to March 5 from Feb. 5)

-- Daimler and Kamaz to merge two currently independent joint ventures, MBTV and FKTR, with new entity making Mercedes-Benz and Kamaz truck cabins in Russia as well as integrating after-sales and spare-parts businesses (notified Jan 29/deadline March 3/simplified)

-- Belgian telecoms group Telenet, which is a subsidiary of U.S. cable group Liberty Global, to acquire 50 percent stake in Belgian broadcasting company De Vijver Media (notified Aug. 18/deadline extended for the second time to March 5 from Feb. 5/companies submitted concessions on Nov. 24)

MARCH 12

-- Spanish bank BBVA to acquire sole control of Turkish lender Garanti Bank which is now jointly controlled by BBVA and Dogus Holding A.S. (notified Feb. 5/deadline March 12/simplified)

-- Australian investment bank Macquarie Group and Wren House, which is owned by the Kuwait Investment Authority, to jointly acquire E.ON’s Iberian business (notified Feb. 5/deadline March 12/simplified)

MARCH 17

-- Japanese electronics maker Panasonic Corp and holding company Ficosa Inversion, which currently has sole control of Ficosa International, to acquire joint control of Spanish car parts maker Ficosa International (notified Feb. 10/deadline March 17/simplified)

MARCH 18

-- Abellio, the international unit of Dutch state-owned rail company NS, to take control of the ScotRail rail services in Scotland (notified Feb. 11/deadline March 18)

-- British bank Barclays to acquire sole control of Spanish insurer CNP Barclays Vida y Pensiones Compania de Seguros, which is now jointly controlled by Barclays and French insurer CNP Assurances (notified Feb. 11/deadline March 18/simplified)

-- British support services group DCC to buy Esso’s French motorway retail network (notified Feb. 2/deadline March 18/simplified)

APRIL 30

-- French telecoms operator Orange to acquire Spanish provider Jazztel (notified Oct. 16/deadline extended to April 30 from April 24 after the Commission resumed its scrutiny after a four-day halt)

MAY 13

-- Mondelez International Inc and competitor D.E Master Blenders to merge their coffee businesses in new company called Jacobs Douwe Egberts (notified Oct. 27/deadline extended for the third time to May 13 from May 6)

MAY 26

JUNE 30

-- German conglomerate Siemens to purchase U.S. oilfield equipment maker Dresser-Rand Group Inc (notified Jan. 9/deadline extended to June 30 from Feb. 13 after the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation)

JUNE 26

-- PRS for Music Ltd (PRSfM), Foreningen Svenska Tonsattares Internationella Mysikbyra (Stim) and Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte (Gema) to set up a joint venture to administer mechanical and performing rights (notified Nov. 28/deadline extended for the third time to June 26 from May 29)

SUSPENDED

GUIDE TO EU MERGER PROCESS

DEADLINES:

The European Commission has 25 working days after a deal is filed for a first-stage review. It may extend that by 10 working days to 35 working days, to consider either a company’s proposed remedies or an EU member state’s request to handle the case.

Most mergers win approval but occasionally the Commission opens a detailed second-stage investigation for up to 90 additional working days, which it may extend to 105 working days.

SIMPLIFIED:

Under the simplified procedure, the Commission announces the clearance of uncontroversial first-stage mergers without giving any reason for its decision. Cases may be reclassified as non-simplified - that is, ordinary first-stage reviews - until they are approved. (Compiled by Philip Blenkinsop)